


It Didn't Necessarily Go Like This, But My Point Is It Could Have

by senalishia



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Blood, Gen, Suicide Attempt, child endangerment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 18:46:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16792630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/senalishia/pseuds/senalishia
Summary: She was young, scared, and confused. Intent is not magic, but hers was not wholly selfish.





	It Didn't Necessarily Go Like This, But My Point Is It Could Have

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone's required to have an opinion on the subject, right?

“Lost him? How could you have lost him? I told you to stay together! Elrond _ , where is you brother _ ?” It wasn't his fault, Elwing knew she shouldn't be taking this out on him, but the fear and the chaos were eating away at her.

“I don't know, Mama, I'm sorry!” her son wailed, but before she could apologize or take him in her arms to comfort him, she froze at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

It was Maglor himself who entered the room, followed by one of his minions, and in that one's arms, struggling fiercely--her missing son.

“Elwing,” Maglor began, arms raised, still pleading, placating. “You still have a choice. You can end this right now. No one else has to get hurt.”

“And if you don't,” said the other one, “well, someone just might.” And Elros, thank all the Powers, stilled as a knife appeared at his throat.

Luthien forgive her, at that moment she almost lost the strength to refuse them. “Please--” she began.

“What?” Maglor said at the same time. He and his ally looked at each other, away from her, and she took chance to grab Elrond's hand and lead him back just a bit, though there was no safety behind her but her own balcony. “What are you doing?” Maglor seemed displeased. “Put that away, Gallach, he's a child, for Varda's sake.” 

She had small hope that her ultimate salvation lay in some of her enemies being slightly more principled than the others--it hadn't saved her brothers--but she felt a surge of relief as Gallach sighed and slipped the knife into a sheath behind his back.

“Just take the two of them downstairs, why don't you, they may still be of some use to us,” Maglor ordered, erasing any likelihood that she might make the mistake of trusting him. “I'll handle this.”

She moved to stand between them and Elrond, but Maglor had strength, speed, and several hundred years on her, and easily grabbed her and pulled her out onto the balcony despite as Gallach made off with her sons.

Maglor pressed her against the balcony's railing, part of which had already been broken in the fighting. The wind off the sea whipped at their hair. “I do wish it didn't have to be this way,” Maglor said softly, though close as he was, he wouldn't look her in the eye as he spoke. Instead, he seemed mesmerized by the jewel at her throat. He reached out to take it from her, but stopped before he touched it. Drew his hand back, and frowned.

Then there were shouts from downstairs, metal crashing against metal. One of her sons screamed.

Gallach came back into the room, sword out, drenched in blood.

“No,” she whispered.

Maglor released her, stepped away. “What happened?” he shouted.

It was obvious to her what had happened. She felt free, oddly. She had nothing left. No more hard decisions to make, no more choosing one threat over another.

“May Ulmo carry my body far away, so that you never gain what you desire.” she hissed at them.

The last step was the easiest. Backward, into oblivion.

She could still hear their voices, wind-torn, as she fell.

“...attacked the moment we...took care of...but the boys escaped…”

_ What? _

Hitting the water hurt more than she had expected.


End file.
